The hangover from UFC Stockholm: What’s next for Paul Redmond?

There are few more ways that you could have stacked the odds against Paul Redmond going into his UFC debut last night.

Being handed your chance on the biggest stage of mixed martial arts is something that every young fighter dreams of but Redmond had a nightmare after being given just 16 days' preparation to face one of the most vicious up-and-comers in the division in Mirsad Bektic. And it was to be Redmond's first fight at featherweight. Not many people would have backed Redmond after he missed weight for the bout and it was a tough night's work for "Redser" after falling 30-27, 30-27, 30-25 to the Bosnian-born Bektic. It's easier said than done for Redmond to keep his head up after the one-sided loss but he should at least attempt to transfer any negative energy into his next must-win outing for the Las Vegas promotion. The 10-5 fighter revealed to us that he signed a four-fight deal with the UFC but it is not unheard of for Dana White & Co. to release fighters early who are not performing to the best of their ability. But let's put last night's fight down to a learning curve considering that "Redser" had never fought at 145lbs. So what's next for Paul Redmond? The fact that the UFC have given such backing to Irish fighters and that Redmond was dominated last night could stand the former Cage Warriors fighter in good stead as the promotion will likely offer "Redser" a less daunting task next time around. Redmond fights best when he's put up against a fighter who takes risks, both on the feet and on the ground, as "Redser" is one who enjoys throwing the odd unorthodox technique or twelve. He never got the chance to do that against Bektic, who didn't open too much by burying his head deep in the chest of the Dubliner for the majority of the fight while landing shots from Redmond's guard. Redmond told us his plans all along were to stay at featherweight so we're not going to rush to the conclusion that he'll retreat back to lightweight just based on last night's eveents. We're also not going to delude anyone by claiming that Redmond will be taking a big-name fighter next. A more realistic match-up for the Irishman would be someone like Daniel Hooker (11-5). Hooker, like Redmond, is coming off a unanimous decision loss and is still trying to cut his teeth in the featherweight division with just two fights to his name under the UFC banner. The 145lb division is one of the most competitive divisions in all of mixed martial arts and it's true that there are no easy fights in the UFC but a fight between Hooker and Redmond makes sense for all parties involved. The fighters will get the chance to rebound from their losses, the UFC gets to market the fight to international markets as it would be an Irishman against a New Zealand native and the fans would get to see a true scrap based on the fighting styles of both guys. Sean Shelby, make the fight!